One-on-One with Martin McDonald, SVP, ROV Division, Oceaneering
we have been working on automated operations, such as auto docking, where the ROV pilot can direct the ROV to move autonomously to a docking point by moving a cursor on the screen, without any intervention on the joystick. It is the machine vision recognition software tied into the control and inertial navigation systems that allows it to perform those tasks consistently. This is still an emerging technology, and it takes a little time to dock autonomously. The reality today is that a really good pilot could do it quicker, but not necessarily consistently and repeatedly. The technology is evolving, but
iXblue Expanding in Australia
Navigation, positioning and imaging firm iXblue said it is expanding its local capabilities in Australia. In 2019, it will focus on developing the company’s local expertise in Inertial Navigation Systems for both defense and civil markets.“We have been present in Australia for over 10 years with a dedicated Brisbane-based team of highly qualified engineers, hydrographers, geophysicists, program managers and equipment sales staff,” said Fabien Napolitano, CEO of iXblue. “Australia being a key market for iXblue, it was only natural for us to expand our capabilities in the region.
DGA Taps iXblue for AUV Positioning & Monitoring
system, the Gaps system is equipped with a pre-calibrated USBL (Ultra Short Base Line) antenna and offers very high-precision geo-referenced positioning performance, particularly in shallow waters and in noisy environments. Its telemetry function also allows for the recalibration of the inertial navigation systems (INS) on board the underwater vehicle thanks to an acoustic communication link, as well as for the command and control of the AUV. The broad opening of its 3D antenna, up to as much as 200 degrees, also gives it unrivaled capacity in terms of horizontal tracking, enabling the system to
Mapping the Future
?The system architecture of autonomy for planning, analysis and execution is similar for AUVs and USVs but there are differences in sensors and functions because of the environment. Lack of GPS and radio communication are fundamental constraints to AUVs that are solved by acoustics and aided inertial navigation systems.USVs need advanced scene analysis and route planning to navigate safely in areas with maritime activity. There are significant thresholds to sufficient functionality and robustness of the individual systems. The most critical phases of the combined USV-AUV operation are launch and recovery
Meet the Future of Visualization and Mapping Sonars
subsea projects and operations across the globe including in oil and gas applications, breakwater construction, asset placements and landings, port and harbor security, defense, mining and diving applications Our real-time 3D and geophysical product ranges are complemented by GNSS aided inertial navigation systems. The F180 series has a proven track record in the marine survey industry for accuracy and reliability and is a preferred asset found on survey vessels across the world. Our existing third generation of real-time 3D sonar products includes the standard Echoscope, the Echoscope
SBG Systems Debuts New Post-processing Software
at the Ocean Business show in Southampton, U.K. After the survey, this full-feature software gives access to offline RTK corrections, and process inertial and GNSS raw data to further enhance accuracy and secure the survey. For more than 10 years, SBG Systems has been designing inertial navigation systems from the internal Inertial Measurement Unit to the filtering with GNSS data. Expert in real-time data fusion, the company takes another step in the surveying industry by unveiling Qinertia, a fully in-house Post-Processing Kinematic (PPK) software. Whether the survey is made from a car
Greensea: Redefining the Connection between Man and Machine
system; we are not building a mission planning system. We’re building a ‘get me where I want to go’ system.” Kinnaman said the engineering challenge is the relationship – how the operator is to use the tools that are behind the scenes – the inertial navigation systems, the autopilots, the mission planning systems and the sonar interfaces. The interface that delivers the operator’s requirements is really the hard part, and that’s the relationship. For the DPD Greensea has a number of deliverables according to Kinnaman. “STIDD
SBG Systems Upgrades Its Ekinox Series
SBG Systems said it will soon present its new generation of advanced and compact inertial navigation systems, the Ekinox 2 Series. The Ekinox Series is a line of tactical grade MEMS-based inertial navigation systems first released in 2013. The newest generation – set for launch at the U.S. Hydro Show, in Galveston, Texas – is now twice more accurate in attitude due to a complete redesign of the in-house Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) integrating cutting-edge gyroscopes and accelerometers. Ekinox 2 Series is fully compliant with IHO standards. It provides 0.02°
Kraken Hires Director of Business Development
Jeff Bartkowski has joined Kraken Sonar Inc. as Director of Business Development, effective December 5, 2016. Bartkowski has been employed in the marine technology industry for over 12 years in subsea positioning, inertial navigation systems and high resolution sonar products. He has sales and business development experience with both commercial and defense customers and has worked at both larger marine technology companies such as Teledyne-Reson and iXBlue and start-ups such as Sea Machine Robotics. He is a graduate of New York’s Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. “Over
Unique Group Expands European Rental Pool
Hydrographic survey and diving equipment specialist Unique Group said it has selected subsea vehicle positioning and navigation technology from Sonardyne International Ltd. to add to its expanding equipment rental pool. The SPRINT Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) and Syrinx Doppler Velocity Logs (DVLs) will be held at the company’s regional headquarters in Aberdeen and made available to support survey and construction projects using ROVs and AUVs in water depths up to 4,000 meters. Introduced onto the market over 10 years ago, Sonardyne’s SPRINT makes optimal use of
MTR100: SBG Systems
geared for aerospace, land, and especially marine – surface and subsea – projects such as vessel motion monitoring, ROV and AUV control, hydrography and buoy positioning. SBG Systems delivers high performance and cost-effective MEMS-based Motion Reference Unit (MRU) and Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) to the Marine industry, representing approximately half of the company’s turnover. Its products are mainly used in offshore, marine, and underwater applications, including hydrography, USV, AUV and ROV navigation and motion monitoring SBG Systems designs, manufactures
